


Come Back to Me

by LaityAllyn



Category: Undertale
Genre: Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Depression, Fluff, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, I'll Add Tags As I Go On, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, No Incest, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse, Past Torture, Rape Recovery, Recovery, Sad, i like hurting characters, i'm bad at trigger warnings, yell at me in the comments if i miss a trigger warning and i'll add it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2019-10-14 07:23:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17504156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaityAllyn/pseuds/LaityAllyn
Summary: Papyrus thought Sans died in an accident twelve years ago. But one day he turns up.





	1. The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to visit/yell at me at my Tumblr: [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)  
> if you have read any of my other works you will know that I love the fell verse skeletons because they are the easiest to hurt, I'm a sucker for character development through pain. I have so many fell verse stories bouncing around in my head.

When Papyrus opened the door the last thing he expected to see was the empty shell of what used to be his brother. Gaster had come himself and told him twelve years ago that his brother had been dusted in an accident at the labs, Papyrus had been upset at first but over time he forgot about Sans. But against all odds, here he was. Papyrus turned a glare on the lab tech that stood behind Sans on the front porch, silently demanding an explanation. 

With trembling hands, the tech handed over an envelope and managed to squeak out, 

“T-the doctor's d-dead. An accident in the lab, w-we went to clean out t-the lower l-levels of the labs a-and his personal quarters but a-apparently he had b-been keeping secrets from the rest of the staff. He willed all his property to y-you so-”

Papyrus cut him off with a huff of annoyance but, despite how crazy the situation was to him, he was secretly pleased deep down with the amount of terror he instilled into the jittery tech. He had worked hard to build up his reputation after he had left the labs, determined to be self-sufficient and distance himself from his father, even now he felt slightly uncomfortable with being left all of his father’s property in his will.

“IS THAT ALL?”

“Y-yes sir”

“THEN GO.” Papyrus growled at the tech, sending him scurrying.

Papyrus looked back to his brother who was still standing on the front porch, looking down at his feet. He was wearing a simple pair of grey shorts and a t-shirt that had buttons down the back that was usually used for medical examinations. On his feet were a pair of plain tennis shoes. The clothes may have been suitable for Hotland but in Snowdin, he might as well have been naked. Papyrus could hear his brother’s bones rattling from how hard he was shivering. 

“COME INSIDE.” Sans looked up as he followed the command and Papyrus once more saw what he had seen when he had first opened the door. His brother's eyelights, once a bright shade of crimson, were now a dull grey. The most unsettling thing was how empty they were, there was no emotion in his eyes, no recognition had passed through them when Papyrus had opened the door and Sans had seen his little brother for the first time in twelve years. Sans was just...gone.

Once in the door, Sans stood still again, looking at Papyrus with neither interest nor disinterest, waiting for the next order. Papyrus sighed, bringing up a bony hand to massage the space between his eyesockets. He pointed to a chair that was sitting closest to the fireplace.

“SIT.”

Sans obeyed instantly, sitting on the edge of the seat, not bothering to make himself comfortable. He looked to Papyrus again.

“STOP STARING AT ME” Papyrus growled, more than a little uncomfortable. He still couldn’t make sense of the twisting knot of emotions that were growing in his soul. Sans looked down at his feet.

Papyrus huffed as he sat himself down on the couch and opened up the envelope in his hand. Inside was a copy of Gaster’s will, leaving all of his property to Papyrus, and a smaller envelope. After briefly glancing at the will and learning that he had just acquired a small fortune, roughly 30,000 gold and Gaster’s personal library, he opened the second envelope. The letter was sealed with the crest on Gaster’s ring, the image of a human soul and some science things Papyrus didn’t care about. Inside was a letter from Gaster himself

_Papyrus,  
If you are reading this than I am dead. You must have also been alerted of the contents of my will. If you have had the luck to inherited any of my intelligence you will notice that one thing is missing, and knowing you I am very sure that you are confused._

Papyrus griped the letter a little tighter in his hands, threatening to rip the paper. Gaster had always thought of him as the stupid one, he had told him on many occasions. It was for that reason that he had been allowed to leave the labs that day...and Sans hadn’t. He was always the smart one, Papyrus was too stupid to keep around. Of course, the old man had to tell him one last time.

_The staff at the lab have likely delivered my little gift to you. As I am dead I have no need to hide that your brother has been “alive” for the last twelve years. If you haven’t received my gift then I suggest you go to the royal labs and search the lower levels. I have managed to increase his attack and defense substantially as well as raise his max HP to five. As Captain of the Royal Gaurd, I think you will find useful and if he does not meet your expectations I have trained him to be useful in other ways besides fighting. There are even a few special surprises that you may find if you are smart enough. Don't worry about punishing him, he can take anything you give him, I’ve made sure of that._

The last line of the letter made Papyrus feel sick. He looked away from the message and at Sans, who was still how he had left him. There were multiple scars running up and down the exposed bones of Sans’s arms, legs, and skull. Surely Gaster meant beatings, right? Papyrus wanted to believe it was just that but he couldn’t silence the nagging thought in the back of his head that Gaster had meant something more… _intimate_.

The letter concluded with:

_I know that you will find some way to enjoy my gift to you, I know I have while he was still with me. When giving him an order, be sure to describe every step. Simply telling him to wash the dishes will not prompt him to dry them and put them away afterward. He can check calculations and read over paperwork for typos. I know you have inherited enough money to pay to keep him alive and I hope you will not waste the years I have spent conditioning him. You may not have been the smartest but at least you have the common sense to not waste something like this._

_Dr. Wingdings Gaster_

Papyrus set the letter down on the coffee table in front of him. He needed to make some calls.


	2. Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I posted the first chapter of this story yesterday and wow ◉_◉... Today I looked at my emails and found three comments, 12 kudos, some from other writers that I admire quite a bit, 4 bookmarks and 60 hits. this is the best any of my fics have done in such a short amount of time (under 12 hours!), I can only hope that I don't scare you all away with this next chapter. ಠ~ಠ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The warnings for this chapter are: child abuse, major character injury, rape/non-con reference

The first call was to Undyne, Papyrus explained the situation and Undyne agreed to give him a week off of work to settle things. 

“You should have Al take a look at him. Maybe there’s something she can do…” Papyrus could hear the sympathy in the fish woman’s voice. She had grown up with the brothers in the royal lab, along with Alphys and the four of them had been close. She also understood Dr. Gaster’s tendency towards cruelty. Undyne had comforted Papyrus when he was first told that Sans was dead, keeping him from falling down.

Papyrus glanced over to where Sans was sitting on the chair.

“I’LL CALL HER NEXT.”

“Good luck.”

Papyrus stood up and walked over to his brother’s side. He looked at the numerous scars that covered his brother’s body, especially the largest one that ran through his right eye socket and ended a spiderweb of cracks along the right side of his skull, the delicate pattern almost too faint to see now unless you knew where to look. Papyrus remembered the day he left the labs, the day Sans got that scar.

______________  
_The room full of holding pens was full of excited chatter. King Asgore had passed a series of laws for the protection of children. As a result of these laws, the royal scientist, Dr. Wingdings Gaster, was no longer allowed to use orphaned children in his experiments. He had also been deemed an unfit parent and was losing custody of his own two children. A tech had come down a few hours ago and told them to gather anything they had, which wasn’t much, and get ready to leave._

_Papyrus gathered all his precious possessions, his red blanket, a book one of the nice lab techs had given him, and a puzzle cube from his brother. One by one the children were released from their cells and escorted out of the room. Undyne waved excitedly to Papyrus as she passed his cell, the lab tech pushed her forward so she would move faster. Soon only Papyrus and Sans remained. It was Papyrus’s turn next._

_ “SANS?” _

_“yeah bro?”_

_ “WHEN WE GET OUT OF HERE...YOU’LL STAY WITH ME, RIGHT?” _

_Sans looked confused. “of course bro, why ya asking?”_

_“WELL-” Papyrus was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open. In rushed the devil himself, Dr. Gaster. Anger came off of him in waves, frightening Papyrus and causing him to huddle into a ball in the back of his cell. He went directly to Sans’s cell, ignoring Papyrus completely, throwing the door open wide and using his magic to hold Sans still and keep him quiet._

_ “If that idiot of a king thinks I’m going to throw away ten years of research then he is sorely mistaken. If he won't let you stay then I’ll just have to make it so you have to stay.” _

_He raised his cane above his head and Papyrus saw Sans’s eyesockets widen in fear. The cane came down with a crash, shattering the right half of Sans’s skull. The broken pieces fell to the floor as Gaster released Sans from his magic. Papyrus let out a whimper at seeing his brother’s lifeless body crumpled on the floor, and Gaster whipped around to face him._

_“If you tell **anyone** about this you are dead, hear me? You’re lucky you’re the stupid one or I would have kept you too. Two accidents would have seemed too suspicious.” _

_Papyrus could only nod. Gaster seemed satisfied and turned back around to start putting the broken pieces of Sans’ skull back together. The door to Papyrus’s cell was opened with magic and Papyrus took the hint, running to the door with tears streaming down his skull._

_Gaster had found him in Hotland a few weeks later and told him that one of the machines had malfunctioned and San’s had dusted, reminding him if he told anyone what he saw he would die. Undyne found him and brought him to the cave in she and Alphys had found in Waterfall and Papyrus had cried for days until he felt guilty for being a burden on the two girls and had to push past his pain to start pulling his weight._

\----------------

Papyrus knew that he should call Alphys and have her take a look at Sans. She deserved that much. But first, he had to make sure his brother was taken care of, if he had been found a few days after the doctor’s death then he probably hadn’t eaten in some time, or showered, or done anything. Papyrus decided that a shower would be the first priority, he could make dinner while he waited for Sans to finish. 

“FOLLOW ME.”

Sans looked up from the floor and followed obediently to the bathroom. 

“TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES AND GIVE THEM TO ME.” Papyrus could have almost convinced himself he saw something flash through San’s eyes at the request. He rummaged around in the cabinet under the sink to find a dry towel thinking maybe even in this state Sans had a problem with nudity but when he turned around he wasn’t expecting to see his brother kneeling on the ground in front of him. Naked with his legs apart, Looking at the ground and shaking slightly.

Papyrus froze, immediately realizing what Sans had associated with that command, what he was expecting Papyrus to do. He felt sick and it only got worse as he spotted the various bite marks lining Sans’s scarred collarbones and ribs. They had been covered by the t-shirt before but now, when they were exposed, papyrus recognized them for exactly what they were. 

“S-STAND UP,” Papyrus ordered, voice shaking, remembering the letter earlier and how he should give instructions, “CLEAN YOURSELF IN THE SHOWER, THEN DRY YOURSELF OFF, AND SIT ON THE EDGE OF THE BATHTUB AND WAIT UNTIL I BRING YOU CLEAN CLOTHES.” With that he darted out of the bathroom, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, pressing his back against the wall and sliding down to the floor, drawing his knees up to his chest. He pressed his trembling hands to his mouth. 

He had hoped against all hopes this wasn’t what the letter had meant. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so weak and powerless as he did just then, trying not to cry on the kitchen floor. He felt rage and guilt swell up in his soul. He should have told someone, all those years ago. They could’ve moved Sans to the Hotland labs. After all, Gaster didn’t have custody of them anymore. But Papyrus had been a coward, his silence had let Gaster play the part of the mourning father who was close to losing his child. And when Sans was “dead” there was no one who was willing to accuse him of anything. 

Papyrus had believed him when Gaster told him his brother was dead. He had kept his silence and Gaster had...he had...Papyrus could hardly bring himself to even think it. Gaster had hidden his brother away and used him as...as a slave...a _sex toy…_. Gaster had… _raped_ his brother.

The tears prickling at the corners of Papyrus’s sockets began to flow down his cheeks. He curled himself tighter into a ball, finally overwhelmed by the mess of emotions he had been staving off. Gaster had always found a way to make Papyrus feel worthless, even when Papyrus rose to the rank of Captain of the Royal Gaurd, Gaster’s snide comments and veiled insults, whenever he passed through the town, cut him to his core, turning him back into the scared child back in the labs. He felt his LV react to the rage in his soul and felt his magic reaching out. The dishes rattled in the cabinets, the chairs were pushed away from the table and across the room, the clock fell from its place in the wall and the glass shattered, leaving a mess on the floor. 

Suddenly papyrus realized that the water upstairs wasn't running anymore. He cursed himself for getting self-absorbed when Sans was the one who was hurt, the one who had been through hell.

Papyrus ran up the stairs and pulled down the ladder that led to the attic. He rummaged through a few boxes and found some old sets of clothes that looked like they would fit his brother. Sans was very small, the things Gaster had done to raise his attack, defense, and HP had obviously stunted his growth. He made his way to the bathroom and knocked on the door, giving Sans some warning before he pushed open the door. 

Sans was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, completely naked, the towel was folded nicely and set nearby. His posture wasn’t as closed off as papyrus would have liked but at least he wasn’t ...offering...himself to Papyrus like he had before. Papyrus gave Sans a quick once over and once he was satisfied that his brother was clean he handed Sans the clothes.

“PUT THEM ON AND MEET ME DOWNSTAIRS IN THE KITCHEN WHEN YOU ARE DONE.” He tried to keep his voice gentle and calm. The fear he had seen earlier in Sans’s eyes had given him hope, Gaster hadn’t completely bent him to his will, Sans was still in there somewhere, even if it was only a small part of him.

As Sans dressed himself and headed down the stairs Papyrus picked up Sans’s dirty clothes and put them in the washing machine. He was startled from his task by the sound of broken glass in the kitchen downstairs.

 _Shit,_ the clock! Papyrus had forgotten all about it!

He rushed down the stairs to find Sans stooped over, picking up broken glass from the floor, red droplets of marrow already running from the cuts on his hands.

“STOP.” Papyrus immediately ordered his brother. Sans froze completely, still holding on to the glass in his hands. 

“PUT THAT DOWN AND COME HERE.” Papyrus ordered, realizing that Sans wouldn’t do anything else unless prompted. Sans set the glass back down on the floor and walked over to where Papyrus was standing. Papyrus sat him down in the nearest chair and dug the first aid kit out from under the sink. Using tweezers he carefully pulled the shards of glass from his brother’s hands and wrapped them carefully in gauze. He sent a pulse of healing magic into them to ward off any infection that could occur. He took a step back, this was the best he could do. He had lost the ability to fully heal about four LV ago. Leaving Sans at the table Papyrus swept up the broken glass and deposited it in the trash can. He put a pot of water on the stove and waited for it to come to a boil, all while his brother stared straight ahead at the wall.

He was **definatley** going to have to call Alphys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have other works and a [Tumblr](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/) feel free to yell at me there or in the comments.  
> I got the inspiration to write the first two chapters together, I wanted to make them one long chapter but decided against it. it may be a little while now before I get the third chapter up. I have to write a chapter for my other fic that I am writing at this time, Separation Anxiety. Then I will do another one of these and hopefully keep alternating back and forth between the two without getting too overwhelmed.


	3. Speak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this instead of being responsible and cleaning my kitchen.

Once the glass was taken care of Papyrus put some water on the stove to boil. He wondered to what extent Gaster had crushed his brother’s will. After all, he hadn’t prompted Sans to pick up the glass. Maybe he just needed to give his brother room with his commands to fulfill them any way Sans preferred. 

“SANS,” His brother looked up from the floor, hopefully responding to his name and not just Papyrus’s voice, “FOLLOW ME PLEASE.” Sans got up from his seat and followed Papyrus into the living room. Papyrus pointed to the armchair nearest to the fireplace. “MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE THERE, YOU MAY USE THAT BLANKET OVER THERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE, DINNER WILL BE READY SOON, I WILL COME GET YOU WHEN IT IS.”

Sans looked tentatively at the blanket slung over the back of the couch, which Papyrus took as a good sign, but instead walked straight to the chair, sitting cross-legged on the cushion and leaned slightly against one of the arms. Papyrus sighed but realized that it was a mistake as soon as Sans began to tremble, likely anticipating that he had messed up and expecting to be punished. The only thing Papyrus could do was grab the blanket off the back of the couch and drape it over his brother’s shaking form. 

“YOU CAN TAKE THIS OFF IF YOU GET TOO WARM.” He said softly before he went back into the kitchen. He put some penne noodles into the water and got out a saucepan. He normally didn’t bother with store-bought pasta sauce but occasionally he felt down enough that even the basic task of making dinner seemed like a marathon, and today was definitely one of those days. With the noodles and pasta on the stove, he sat at the kitchen table, crossing his arms and resting his chin on them, staring at the pots on the stove. 

So Sans had some will of his own, but not enough to make his own decisions, even when he wanted to. He didn’t recognize Papyrus, although he might if Papyrus showed him his soul, no matter what physical changes Papyrus had undergone, as long as his soul remained the same Sans should be able to recognize him. He hadn’t spoken a single word as of yet, although Papyrus hadn’t asked him to. 

Papyrus let out another sigh and buried his face in his arms. He wished Gaster hadn’t died so he could kill him again.

\-----------------------------

When Papyrus went to get Sans for dinner he was pleased to see that Sans had wrapped the blanket around himself more tightly and was resting his head on the arm of the chair. His eyes were half closed and he looked ready to fall asleep.

“SANS,” Sans looked up at him, his relaxed posture gone, “IT’S TIME FOR DINNER.” Sans followed him obediently into the kitchen. 

“SIT DOWN PLEASE.” Papyrus pointed to a chair. Sans sat down. Thankfully all Papyrus had to do was tell Sans to eat and he ate, requiring no special instruction. After they were finished Papyrus put their dishes in the sink, he would wash them later, what mattered now was how tired Sans looked.

“PLEASE FOLLOW ME,” Papyrus led his brother up the stairs to his bedroom. When Sans realized where they were going he began to shake again but didn’t resist. The shaking got worse as Papyrus ushered him into the room and told him to lay on the bed. But Sans’s fears were false, Papyrus just covered him with the blankets. 

“TRY TO GET SOME SLEEP, COME DOWNSTAIRS IF YOU NEED ANYTHING.” 

With that Papyrus left the room, heading downstairs. He washed and put away the dishes then grabbed some extra blankets from the storage closet underneath the stairs, Sans was in his bed so he would have to sleep on the couch until he got the spare room ready. He sat on the couch and called Alphys. 

“Hello?” 

“HELLO DR. ALPHYS.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“CUT THE FORMALITIES, I KNOW YOU HAVE CAMERAS SET UP ALL THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.” There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment

“How...how is he?”

Papyrus sighed, “ABSENT, BUT NOT COMPLETELY GONE. I’D LIKE TO HAVE YOU GIVE HIM A CHECKUP, AND TAKE A LOOK AT HIS SOUL.”

“Have you looked at it yet?” 

“NO...” Souls were very personal, showing another monster your soul was showing them your whole being, everything that a monster was, their fears, hopes, and dreams, was manifested in a soul. Under the circumstances, with no real way for Sans to consent, it seemed to be the best idea to not do anything involving souls.

“Alright, see you tomorrow then.”She had pieced together what he had left out, he could hear it in her voice. She sounded disappointed, like she had a sneaking suspicion but desperately wanted to be wrong.

“THANK YOU.”

“It’s no problem.” Then she hung up.

Papyrus gave one last long sigh as he laid back on the couch. Sans was definitely not going to like getting a checkup but it had to happen.

Papyrus was right, the next morning as they entered the Hotland labs Sans began to tremble and shake as expected. The familiar scenery undoubtedly bringing up unpleasant memories. Alphys met them in the main lobby, glancing sadly at Sans and leading the way to the true labs, which only intensified Sans’s trembling.

“I think it might be best to sedate him before I take a look at him,” she told Papyrus “he’s obviously uncomfortable just being here and if the doctor did what I think he did,” Papyrus nodded, confirming her suspicions. Her expression took a darker look “then taking his soul out is a bad idea.” Papyrus frowned, he didn’t like the idea of forcing Sans through this but he understood that there was no real way for Sans to give his consent. He would likely go along with everything Papyrus told him, no matter how terrified he was.

“ALRIGHT,” he grumbled, “IF THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.”

“I do have a few tests that I need him awake for so we’ll start with those.”

Alphys started off by giving Sans some simple puzzles, moving on to harder ones as he solved them. Papyrus was impressed, Sans was actually pretty good at them. It was the same When Alphys gave him some calculations to do, his brother made sense of what looked to be a page full of random letters, numbers, and squiggly lines to Papyrus. Compared to Sans he definitely was the stupid one.

“Has he spoken yet?” Papyrus looked up from counting the tiles on the floor while Sans was doing advanced calculus.

“NO, I HAVEN’T ASKED HIM TO YET.”

“Ask him to say something, I think it’s best if it’s just you giving commands.” 

“ALRIGHT. SANS?” Sans looked up from the papers, “SAY SOMETHING.” Sans immediately started shaking again he opened his mouth slightly and closed it again, bringing his hand up to tap his throat and shaking his head, looking terrified of what Papyrus was going to do when he realized Sans couldn’t fulfill the command.

“IT’S FINE SANS,” Papyrus tried his best to sound soothing, “IT’S OKAY, YOU’RE FINE.” he took a step closer, hands raised in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. He stopped when Sans jerked back hard enough he nearly fell out of his chair, tears streaming down his skull. Papyrus looked over at Alphys, who was staring wide-eyed at the spectacle that had unfolded. She looked up at Papyrus.

“M-maybe I should go grab the-”

“YES, NOW.” Papyrus interrupted her. She hurried out of the room, her tail swishing behind her. She returned a few moments later, holding a capped syringe in her claws. The sight of it upset Sans even more, he started hyperventilating.

“SANS, CLOSE YOUR EYES.” Sans complied, squeezing his sockets shut. It didn’t stop his shaking or panicked breathing, but it did allow Alphys to get close enough to stick the syringe into Sans’s humerus and depress the plunger. Sans flinched but didn’t pull away. Within a few minutes he slumped against the table, breath slowing down, and the shaking stopped. 

Papyrus and Alphys stood quietly for a few moments, both shaken by Sans’s outburst. Papyrus was the first to move, walking over to Sans and scooping him up into his arms. He hugged his brother close to his chest for the first time in over twelve years. He felt tiny and fragile in his arms, like Papyrus was the older brother, not Sans.

“DOCTOR, I ASSUME YOU HAVE SOME MORE TESTS?” He said softly, distracting Alphys from her thoughts, knowing very well what trail they were taking. After all, she had known Doctor Gaster for two years longer than Sans had. 

“Oh! Um, yes. This way please.” she led the way to a room filled with various machines, gesturing to Papyrus to set Sans down on the table. Reluctantly he did, smiling softly as he had to pull his wrist out of Sans’s sleepy grasp. The drugs hadn’t completely worked yet so they waited until all of Sans’s movements had ceased, even his breathing. Skeletons didn’t need to breathe, although it was more comfortable to do so. 

“He seems to recognize you, at least a little.” Alphys spoke up first, her statement sounding slightly like a question.

“I USED A SMALL AMOUNT OF HEALING MAGIC ON HIM EARLIER.” Alphys nodded.

“That's probably why. Now, I need to take most of his clothes off, the machines need to have areas to connect to.” Papyrus sighed, knowing this was coming. He started tugging off Sans’s tennis shoes and socks, revealing his brother’s battered shins. Alphys watched sadly, but when he pulled off Sans’s sweater and revealed the bite marks all along his brother’s ribcage her expression looked like a combination of wanting to be sick and pure fury. Papyrus avoided making eye contact, they both knew exactly what the Doctor had done, they both had experienced Gaster’s _attentions_. The touches that lingered just a little too long, the older children who held Gaster’s attention for slightly longer than the younger ones did, all around eleven to thirteen years old, who disappeared for “testing” but always dusted before they came back. Everyone in the labs knew Gaster was a creep, but either they were all too afraid of him to bring it to the king or they didn’t have any evidence. But there were rumors, and the king had believed those rumors enough to strip Gaster of custody over all the children in the labs, even his own. 

“The fucking bastard.” Alphys’s voice burned with rage. Sans had been one of her closest friends back in the labs. 

“WELL HE’S DEAD NOW, HE GOT WHAT HE DESERVED.”

“No, he deserved a long slow, agonizing death, not a quick and easy one like he got.”

“TRUST ME, DOCTOR, IF I COULD BRING HIM BACK JUST TO KILL HIM AGAIN I WOULD, BUT HE’S NOT WHAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW.” Alphys looked at his brother lying on the table in front of her.

“Right,” She began to hook up various tubes and wires to Sans’s bones, some directly into the bones and some stuck on with suction cups or tape. She flicked on the machine and within a few seconds, Sans’s bones began to glow a soft white, magic running in streams like veins through his brother’s body. Papyrus recognized the veins as mana lines. Every monster had them but the fleshy monsters had them under their skin. As a skeleton, Sans’s mana lines were different, they wound themselves around and through his bones, only becoming tangible when enough magic was pushed through them. 

Alphys gestured to Sans’s throat where there were a few lines missing, Papyrus felt himself getting angry again, Gaster had purposely cut the lines that ran around Sans’s throat and brought magic from his soul to be turned into his voice. 

“Let's start with giving him his voice back.” Alphys grabbed some strange looking tools off of the side table, one of them glowed with green healing magic, the other held regular, white colored magic. He watched as Alphys coaxed new mana lines into existence with the healing magic, sustaining them with the raw magic until they were connected to the right places.  
She set the tools aside and turned off the machines, the new lines held, fading away with all the others.

“ I have a few scans I need to do and then I need to see his soul, it’s going to take some time. You can sit over there if you like.” she pointed to a chair near the edge of the room. Papyrus nodded his thanks, sitting down in the chair. Even if the rest of the visit brought up nothing useful Papyrus was grateful they had come. 

At the very least Sans would have his voice back, and that was something Papyrus could work with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come bug me at my Tumblr: [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)


	4. No good news...yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans gets a checkup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little short but I'm already working on the next chapter.

When Alphys finished her tests she called Papyrus back over. She explained that it would probably be the best choice to have Papyrus call out Sans’s soul because he recognized his magic. Papyrus nodded and held his hand over his brother’s ribcage, close but not touching. He used magic to call on Sans’s soul and it formed beneath his ribcage. PApyrus used blue magic to pull it out and held it in place where Alphys could see it. She let out a sad sigh, moving around to look at it from different angles and scribbling on her clipboard.

Sans’s soul looked like his eyes. Where there should be a bright crimson there was a dull grey. There were numerous cracks and scars running across the surface, dimming it further. Scars were expected, every monster had them, excluding very young children. However, the extent of the scars only held testament to the horrors Sans had been through. Souls could be scarred through emotional trauma, or even worse, someone could do direct damage to the soul. The royal guard used some questionable methods to get confessions out of suspects but even the guard didn’t touch souls. 

Papyrus noted the numerous scars indicating repeated puncture wounds. Whatever experiments Gaster had done on Sans dealt directly with his soul, that was probably the reason why Sans’s physical growth had been so stunted. Papyrus felt rage swell in his soul, but he pushed it down. After all, he was holding his brother’s very existence with his magic. If he hurt Sans in such a vulnerable state he would never forgive himself. Alphys set down her clipboard and Papyrus released the soul. 

“Well, he should be fine, physically at least. He’s a little undernourished but that's probably because it took a while for the staff at the royal lab to find him. I’ll give you some supplements to have him take and hopefully they’ll help thicken his bones and maybe fill in some of the smaller scars.” Papyrus nodded, not really liking that Alphys was avoiding talking about Sans’s soul. “Magically, however, something is really wrong but I don’t know what.I’ll need to look at the data from the tests Gaster was doing, there’s a good chance whatever he did was mentioned there.” 

“SO THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO.”

“For now, something is suppressing his magic, but he still has his own unique magic signature however, so that’s good. If I can find out what’s causing it and get rid of it his natural magic should take over. For now though, take him home and take care of him, make sure he starts eating on a regular schedule, have him take the supplements. I’ve been nominated as a candidate for royal scientist and there’s really no one else, if I do take the position I’ll have both the hotland and royal labs under me, I’ll have the means to help him.”

Papyrus looked away, not satisfied with anything not set in stone. 

“I WOULD LIKE TO SEARCH THE LOWER LABS.”

“Of course, I’ll talk to Undyne about it and she can get you cleared.” Alphys’s tone was consoling and Papyrus felt guilty, she was Sans’s friend. She cared about him and wasn’t trying to ignore his problem. When Sans had “died” she had lost something too.

“ALRIGHT THEN.”

“Good, Now you should take him home before the sedative wears off, he might freak out if he wakes up down here.” Papyrus nodded, gathering his brother’s clothes. He slipped the shirt and shoes back on and lifted Sans into his arms, marveling at how light his brother was. He couldn’t have weighed more than twenty pounds. Papyrus himself weighed pretty close to forty-five pounds, convenient for helping Undyne workout. He would sit on her back while she did pushups and hold the dumbells that would have otherwise rolled off her back. He chuckled at the thought as he carried Sans up the stairs to the main lab.

\------------------------------------------------

Thankfully, Sans didn’t wake until they were home, his eyes started to flutter open just as Papyrus was ascending the stairs. When Sans realized he was being carried he froze, but he didn’t start shaking. Papyrus took that as a good sign. He hoped that Sans had realized that his magic signature was different from Gasters and felt at least a little safer, that or the drugs still hadn’t worn off completely. Papyrus set him on the bed and before Sans could freak out, covered him with the blanket. 

“I’M SURE YOU ARE STILL FEELING TIRED FROM THE SEDATIVE, I’M SORRY THAT IT WAS THE ONLY OPTION. GET SOME REST AND I WILL COME GET YOU WHEN IT IS TIME FOR LUNCH.

Sans didn’t acknowledge his apology as he expected, but he still felt that Sans deserved it. He wanted to stay in the room a little longer, just to be with his brother, but noticed how Sans was fighting off sleep while he was still in the room. He felt a pang of sadness at the fact Sans didn’t feel comfortable with sleeping in front of someone else but at the same time was encouraged by the fact that Sans still seemed to have some will left. He left the room and sat on the couch. He started mentally putting together a list, he needed to get the extra room set up into a decent bedroom. That meant a bed, dresser, a light source, and a new window. The old window was broken and drafty so Papyrus had just boarded over it. The walls would need new paint too, he mused, and Sans would need new clothes. He decided to just measure Sans and pick out some basics for him rather than bring him anywhere crowded. 

Maybe Sans would be able to pick a few things out in the future he hoped. But for now, there was nothing he could do. He had to wait and it was already frustrating him. If he knew one thing was for certain it was this, 

He really needed to get into that lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to come visit me on my Tumblr, [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/). You can ask me questions, yell at me, or read some of my other works.


	5. Dinner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, got a chapter done! Hit some writer's block about halfway through so the end might seem a bit awkward.

Taking care of Sans was harder than Papyrus had expected. He had to be very precise in giving him orders or he would stand in the middle of a room, task completed and wait there for Papyrus to give him another one. One day Papyrus had come home from patrol to find Sans passed out on the floor, curled up in a blanket because Papyrus had to leave in a rush, he was technically off for the rest of the week but the guard was running short. All Papyrus had time to do was tell Sans to grab the blanket off of the floor and make himself comfortable until he got back. He had only mentioned the blanket because he had the sneaking suspicion that Sans liked fluffy things, he seemed to do anything that involved him holding or being wrapped in something warm and fluffy faster than anything else like brushing his teeth or washing his hands before dinner. 

But Papyrus hadn’t told him where to make himself comfortable, so Sans hadn’t moved from the spot where he had picked the blanket up, he just curled up with the blanket on the floor and fell asleep. 

Papyrus kept his limited knowledge of Sans’s taste in the back of his mind as he looked through the rather small selection of clothing in Snowdin’s only shop. He could have gone to the capital but until Alphys was instated as the new royal scientist and they could find what was blocking Sans’s magic, he didn’t want to be too far from his brother. Word had definitely gotten around and until Papyrus was sure that Sans could defend himself, he was going to make sure that his brother didn’t end up as a boost for an EXP hunter. 

Papyrus was heading to the front of the shop, about to give up and just buy the few items that he had found when he saw the jacket. It was a little big, but it had a hood, and it was lined with fur. Papyrus chuckled to himself, it was definitely fluffy. He snagged it off of its hook as he walked to the front of the store. A bored looking rabbit monster was leaning on the counter, her posture open and seemingly relaxed. But Papyrus knew different, Bonnie ran one of the oldest shops in Snowdin and no one lived that long being soft.

“Will that be all lieutenant?” Bonnie drawled as she counted the items placed on the counter. Papyrus just fixed her with his usual “outside” glare and she chuckled, packing the items into a bag. 

“500G”

Papyrus continued to stare at her tilting his head slightly to the side and lifting a brow. Bonnie stared him right back in the eyes. After a few moments, her face relaxed into a grin.

“125G” Papyrus huffed in annoyance.

“95G final offer” Papyrus let his grin peek through his scowl.

“YOU DRIVE A HARD BARGAIN.” He handed over the 95G knowing that Bonnie was giving him a good deal. He had been doing business with her for long enough to know that. 

“Those clothes seem awful small for you lieutenant. Would they have something to do with our newest resident?” Bonnie wasn’t hiding her curiosity anymore, she waggled her eyebrows as she stared at Papyrus expectantly. 

Papyrus was secretly relieved that Bonnie had already referred to Sans with some amount of possession. It was probably because of his connection with Papyrus but it was reassuring nonetheless. Snowdin was a tight-knit community, it didn’t have the random murders that were fairly common in the capital. If you pissed someone off you might get beaten half to death but unless you really messed up you probably weren't going to die. Really all you had to watch out for was EXP hunters and degenerates fleeing the guard in the capital. That’s where Papyrus came in, he kept the town safe and in return, he had been accepted into their community and in recent years it had become safer than ever.

“YES.” Papyrus decided to humor her, he had paid off his debts to her in full through his protection and patronage, but he still felt obligated to give her some type of answer. Besides, without her, he would be long dead. He remembered first venturing to Snowdin with Alphys and Undyne when a particularly violent gang had set up shop in Waterfall. They had left their cave abruptly, having very little time to grab any supplies or money they had earned from working odd jobs here and there. Bonnie had been a new mother and without her pity, they would have frozen to death or starved, whichever had come first. She had given them clothes in return for their help sweeping the shop and dusting shelves and had also mentioned Grillby’s bar, where there were suspiciously intact meals that were for some reason wrapped neatly in paper bags on a fairly consistent basis.

Grillby had always denied helping them out the few times they had tried to thank him, but the slight blush of purple that ran through his blue flames told them that it was intentional. The shop owners stuck together to keep all of their businesses afloat so Bonnie had probably had some hand in the sudden availability of perfectly good dumpster food. 

“Care to tell me about him?” 

“STILL FIGURING THINGS OUT.”

“Well, tell me when you do.”

“AS IF, I HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN GOSSIP.” With that Papyrus turned and left the store, the smile and friendly wave from Bonnie told him that she had seen through his bluff and know that he would end up telling her eventually. Over the years she had become a mother figure to the trio. Papyrus put on his glare again as he marched confidently back to his house.

Inside, Sans was curled up on the couch, staring at the fire in the fireplace. He looked up at Papyrus when he entered but quickly looked away, posture stiffening, expecting an order. 

‘I GOT SOME CLOTHES,” Sans didn’t move, “COME OVER HERE PLEASE.” This time Sans got up, moving quickly to stand in front of Papyrus. Papyrus set down the bag he was holding and pulled out the jacket. He held it out to Sans expectantly and when Sans only looked at it told him, “TRY IT ON.” Sans put on the jacket and Papyrus was pleased to see that the jacket wasn’t as big as he thought it would be. “YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE COUCH NOW,” Papyrus walked past Sans and into the kitchen. 

What should they have for dinner? He had tried to figure out what type of food Sans liked but Sans would eat pretty much anything he gave to him. Papyrus realized that Sans had probably never eaten anything other than the bland mush the techs had fed them that had just enough vitamins and nutrients to keep them alive. Maybe they needed a treat tonight. He hadn’t seen Grillby in a while either. 

Maybe he owed the old man a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come visit me on my Tumblr [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)


	6. Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was hoping to get this out a day earlier but life says no and I just kinda ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

“What do you want?” Grillby picked up on the fourth ring, sounding pretty annoyed, it must have been a busy night. 

“THINK YOU CAN HANDLE A LITTLE OVERTIME OLD MAN?”

“Depends, what's in it for me?” 

“I’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD SOME RUMORS LATELY?”

“They all sound like bullshit.” Papyrus chuckled.

“THE TRUTH IS A LITTLE TOO COMPLICATED FOR THE DRUNKS IN YOUR GREASE TRAP OF A BAR TO FIGURE OUT, THINK YOU CAN CALL ME WHEN IT CLEARS OUT?” Papyrus could hear Grillby’s flames rise and crackle in indignation.

“I’ll have you know that my establishment is **not** a ‘grease trap’ but a perfectly respectable bar...”

“AND…?”

“And I’ll call you in about an hour.” Grillby hung up with a grumble.

Papyrus glanced to the living room where Sans was sitting on the couch. He sat down in the chair farthest from the couch, making sure to give his brother a wide berth. Physical contact was an oxymoron with Sans, it terrified him to be touched, to the point where he had panic attacks if Papyrus didn’t warn him first. But he craved positive touch, once Papyrus had experimentally set his hand on the top of Sans’s skull and ran his thumb along his sagittal suture. Sans had leaned into the touch for a moment before he remembered he was supposed to be scared. Papyrus guessed Sans had associated touch with pain… or worse. 

Sans glanced at him when he sat down but looked back to the TV when he saw Papyrus look back at him. Papyrus began to wonder if it was a bad decision to take Sans outside, since the day he had arrived the only time he had left the house was when they went to the labs to see Alphys. She had called a few days ago and told Papyrus that she had gotten the position of the new royal scientist and, knowing he was getting antsy, promised him access to the lab within the week. He was supposed to bring Sans too and hopefully, they would find what they need and start fixing his magic before Undyne needed him to come back into work next week. 

“SANS,” Sans looked over immediately, “WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO OUTSIDE?” Papyrus wasn’t really expecting an answer but he was hoping to find out if going out was going to give Sans another panic attack. Sans froze, eye lights flicking up and down Papyrus’s frame, no doubt trying to read his opinion on the situation and respond with whatever would please Papyrus the most. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO COME WITH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, I'LL STILL BRING YOU DINNER.” Sans’s tense posture relaxed slightly, calmed by the fact that Papyrus seemed impartial to whichever decision he made. 

Sans looked down into his hands, fidgeting with them slowly. Papyrus knew better than to tell him to stop, no matter how unsettling the scraping of bone on bone was as Sans wrung his hands. If he told him to stop Sans would just find a way to beat himself up over accidentally slipping back into the habit, worried that he would anger Papyrus. 

Papyrus watched as Sans stared down into his lap, amused by how expressive his brother was when he was lost in thought, or whatever capacity of it he was capable of in this state. He could see the curiosity and fear playing out across his face and for a moment Papyrus thought he could see the fear win out but, to his surprise, Sans looked back to him and nodded. 

“YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME?” Sans nodded again, looking a little nervous, almost like he already regretted his decision. Papyrus sighed, as much as he wanted to get out of the house without the fear of coming back to a busted window or door and a pile of his brother’s dust, He needed to really know what Sans wanted. If he was having second thoughts now was the time to figure that out, not an hour later when Sans was having a panic attack in the town square. 

“YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL ME SANS. I NEED TO KNOW YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.”

Sans just sat there, his mouth parted slightly but no sound came out.

“SANS…” Papyrus tried his best to keep his voice gentle but Sans flinched anyway. 

After a few moments of deliberation, Sans opened his mouth again, just barely and managed to squeak out a soft,

“y-yes.” 

If Papyrus hadn’t been listening for it he would have missed it. Papyrus Smiled warmly at his brother, hoping to reassure him. Sans still didn’t like to speak, it was likely that silence had been demanded from him in the past and when he couldn't give it Gaster had given up with threats and just taken his voice. Papyrus tried his hardest to provide positive reinforcement whenever Sans managed to do something that he had difficulty with. He pulled a piece of candy from his inventory and handed it to Sans who took it with only minimal prompting. Papyrus’s smile stretched even wider as he saw the spark of light in Sans’s eyes, he knew butterscotch was Sans’s favorite. He also knew that Sans wouldn’t eat it or stow it in his inventory for later until he was alone so Papyrus made his way upstairs, making sure to praise Sans before he went into his room to wait for Grillby to call him back.

“THANK YOU BROTHER, THAT’S ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR.” 

\-----------------------------------------------------

“What the fuck.”

It wasn’t a question. There was seething anger that practically dripped from the flame elemental’s voice. 

Grillby’s gaze was fixed on the little skeleton sitting in the booth, completely enchanted by the burger and fries Papyrus had picked for him, oblivious to the long tale Papyrus had just divulged to the two monsters across the restaurant. Bonnie just sat from her stool near the bar looking sadly between Papyrus and his brother. 

“The poor dear.” Despite the somber mood of the room, Papyrus felt the corners of his mouth twitch up slightly at Bonnie’s utterance. She was the closest thing he ever had to a mother and right now she was definitely acting the part. Papyrus was glad to finally sit down and tell someone the whole story, starting from his earliest memories in the labs with Sans, what Gaster had done, how poorly Sans reacted to _anything_ like he expected only pain from everything, and how his magic was blocked so he was trapped in the shell of his body. Papyrus was extremely thankful for his present company, Grillby and Bonnie had been the closest things he had to actual parents, without them he undoubtedly wouldn't be alive right now. 

Grillby began to grumble to himself under his breath and walked straight back into the kitchen. Bonnie and Papyrus looked at each other in mild confusion as they heard the clinking of glasses and the whirring of some type of utensil in the back room of the bar, Sans, was oblivious to the confusion of the others and was just finishing off the last of his fries. 

When Grillby emerged from the back Papyrus let himself smile for the first time since he had started telling his story. Grillby marched directly over to Sans’s booth and set what he had made down in front of Sans retreating back to the bar where Papyrus and Bonnie were sitting. Sans looked at the chocolate milkshake in front of him. Looking to Papyrus for confirmation that this was something he was allowed to touch. Papyrus just smiled and nodded to him from across the dimly lit room. Chuckling as Sans touched the glass only to pull back when he realized that it was cold. He didn’t seem afraid though, which was good. It was probably because Grillby’s was new to him, nothing bad was connected to it in Sans’s memory, in fact, there were only good things attached to it, Sans had practically inhaled his food once he had gotten his first taste. 

Papyrus watched with a fond smile as Sans tentatively reached out and pulled the glass closer to him, dipping in a slender finger and bringing it to his mouth to taste. The moment his eye lights seemed to grow twice their regular size in wonder at this new tiny piece of heaven Papyrus knew this had to be a regular thing, not too often though, maybe once a week. 

Grillby was still grumbling to himself behind the bar, using a damp washcloth to wipe down an already spotless counter, his cobalt flames tinged with wisps of purple at Sans’s obvious delight. Papyrus chuckled and the purple became even more prominent. This was usually Grillby’s response to things that upset him. Annoying half-starved children digging through your dumpster and making a mess? The obvious answer was to throw away perfectly good, and wrapped because dumpsters are dirty, food and deny any involvement you may have. See someone who obviously didn’t just get the short end of the stick, they definitely got beaten with the stick? Ice Cream first, be embarrassed about it later. 

Papyrus heard Bonnie chuckle softly and looked back to Sans who had finished his milkshake and was looking like he was going to fall asleep at any moment. It was Papyrus’s cue to take Sans back home to get some sleep when the little skeleton actually began to nod off in the booth. 

As Papyrus headed for the door with Sans in tow he heard Grillby clear his throat. Papyrus glanced back to the pair by the bar and watched as they shared a look. 

“If you need anything” Grillby muttered

“Any help,” Bonnie finished

“Just tell us.”

“We’ll see what we can do.” 

Papyrus nodded and walked out the door, his soul feeling a little lighter than when he had walked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on my Tumblr [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/). I've got some other works and I will probably respond to you if you ask a question.
> 
> *I FORGOT SOMETHING*   
> I completely forgot that i cut out a scene that mentions Papyrus stepping down and Undyne taking the position of captain of the guard! That's why the first chapter mentions him becoming captain but everyone calls him lieutenant. I might find some way to work it in later/ give an explanation why he did it if it fits in to my notes


	7. What

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey I'm alive  
> Sorry this took so long for me to get out.  
> More in the end notes

To say he was nervous was an understatement. Even as he was preparing breakfast Papyrus felt his hands shake with nervous energy. As he put the quiche in the oven he realized that he was afraid. He didn’t want to go back to _that_ place. He felt himself shuddering as he thought of it. And to think that he would be going back. 

Papyrus poked his head into the living room to check on Sans. As usual, the smaller skeleton was sitting in the chair closest to the fireplace, empty gaze fixed on the flames. He seemed completely unaware of the inevitable events that would be happening today.

The timer rang and Papyrus took the quiche out of the oven. He set it on the table, forcing himself to keep his eyes down. The more his nerves increased, the faster time seemed to pass. Papyrus knew that every time he looked up at the clock he would be closer to _that_ place…

“SANS, BREAKFAST IS READY, PLEASE COME INTO THE KITCHEN.” Sans came in silently and Papyrus directed him towards the table and prompted him to sit. As much as he was dreading today, Papyrus couldn’t help but hope this would be the last time he would have to direct Sans like he was some soulless puppet. Papyrus cut a piece of the quiche and placed it in front of Sans, who didn’t seem too interested but he did seem to like it more than their usual eggs and toast for breakfast. 

All too soon, the meal was over and Papyrus had to look at the clock. It was eight o’clock, which meant he had to be at the labs in two hours. It also meant he had to get Sans ready. 

Leaving Sans at the table Papyrus got up and went to his room. On the dresser was a capped syringe, Alphys had given it to him a few days ago. For a few moments, he stared at it, desperately wishing he didn’t have to be the one to do this. But there just simply wasn't any other way. He grabbed the syringe and made his way back down to the kitchen. He could feel his hands shaking as he neared the table. 

When he made it to Sans’s side Papyrus knelt on the tile floor so he was eye level with Sans. His brother turned to look at him when he approached, likely anticipating some type of order. He hadn’t seen the syringe yet but Papyrus already felt guilty for what he was about to do. 

“SANS…” he started slowly, “WE… WE HAVE TO GO BACK TODAY.” Sans stared at him, not understanding. Papyrus knew that talking right now was probably completely pointless but he needed to do this, there was no way around it. He owed Sans at least this much. “LAST TIME WE DIDN’T EVEN GO _THERE_ AND YOU COULDN’T HANDLE IT, I’M NOT SURE I COULD HAVE THOUGH, IF I WAS IN YOUR POSITION...” he trailed off, avoiding Sans’s empty eyelights. “SO, I HAVE TO DO THIS,” he uncovered the syringe and Sans’s eyesockets widened with fear. Papyrus’s soul dropped, he felt like he was betraying his brother. He had spent so long trying to get it through Sans’s head that he wasn’t going to hurt him, that he was safe. And now… now, he must seem just like his father to Sans. “SHHHHHH, IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY,” Sans’s thin frame began to shake, tears gathering in the corners of his sockets at what he could only perceive as a betrayal. “IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY, I PROMISE.” Papyrus uncapped the syringe and took ahold of San’s arm, wincing at how Sans whimpered as he was touched, last time he couldn’t even do that. He could hear his brother’s bones rattling as he very carefully inserted the needle into Sans’s humerus and pushed in the plunger. 

After a few minutes, the sedative did its work and Sans was still. Papyrus gave it a few minutes before he reached out and scooped the smaller skeleton up, cradling him to his chest. 

“I PROMISE YOU…” Papyrus whispered to his brother “AS LONG AS I LIVE, NO ONE WILL HURT YOU.”

\---------------------------------------

Papyrus met Bonnie in the upper levels of the lab, she was talking to Alphys and Undyne in the lobby area. Papyrus had called her a few days ago and asked if she could sit with Sans while him, Undyne, and Alphys searched the lower levels of the lab. She had agreed and Papyrus was thankful, he didn’t want to leave Sans alone upstairs and there was absolutely no way he was going to bring him with to the lower levels.

“Everything go alright lieutenant?” Bonnie asked, nodding towards the bundle Papyrus held in his arms. Papyrus looked down at Sans who was wrapped in the fluffiest blanket Papyrus owned and shrugged. Bonnie took a step forward and reached for Sans and Papyrus felt his grip tighten around his brother’s listless body. He hadn’t put Sans down since he had first picked him up nearly two hours ago. Even now his soul was sending gentle pulses of healing magic to Sans’s soul, the thought of his brother being frightened of what he surely expected to come after being drugged almost to much to bear. 

Bonnie saw his hesitancy and gave him a gentle smile, reaching out again. This time Papyrus handed Sans over, although very slowly and carefully, like his brother was made of fine china. Bonnie gave Papyrus one last reassuring smile before she turned and carried Sans to the room Alphys had shown her earlier. As she walked by Undyne, Papyrus saw a look of anger flash over his friend’s face. With a few long strides, Undyne stalked over to Papyrus and threw her arms around him in a rare show of affection. Even more surprising, she didn’t pull away immediately. 

Papyrus was touched, Undyne had always had trouble expressing her emotions with her words and the constant pressure of their world to always show your strong side kept her from expressing these bottled up emotions in a healthy way. She was prone to spontaneous actions, most of them negative. When she lashed out she was rarely ever thinking straight and it could be potentially dangerous for anyone around her. 

When she pulled away Papyrus could see that the fury in her eyes had only increased. She too had been one of his father’s victims and although most wouldn’t take the time to get to know her, Undyne was a very empathetic monster. He knew that right now, it was taking everything she had not to blow up.

“Let's find out whatever the fuck that bastard did to him and fix it.” Undyne practically growled. Papyrus could only nod, unable to match his friend’s intensity.

“I’ll be coming with you two,” Alphys chimed in, making her way to the elevator and beckoning the other monsters to follow. Papyrus had to pause before he entered the elevator to calm his soul. It was beating at a such an exorbitant rate that it hurt. He really didn’t want to go back _there_. It was the lab, he forced himself to think, it was just a lab. His father was gone and couldn’t hurt him anymore. It wasn’t the place that was evil, it was the monsters like his father who made it evil.

Alphys and Undyne said nothing as they waited for him but, they did give each other a knowing look and Papyrus guessed Alphys had been calming Undyne before he came. When Papyrus stepped in and finally withdrew his hand from its grip on the frame of the elevator door Alphys pressed a few buttons and the elevator began its shaky descent. 

\------------------------------------------

It was just as cold as he remembered it. Papyrus shivered as he followed Alphys down the corridor that led away from the elevator. His father had only brought him down here a few times and he always remembered how cold it was. Papyrus began to wonder what spirit had possessed him when he had demanded access to this place. It had been his anger, he realized. Anger for how his brother had suffered, anger for how helpless he was to help Sans. Papyrus called upon that same anger to keep his mind off the fear as Alphys led the way. Alphys paused in front of the first door they came upon. 

“This should be the doctor’s personal quarters, the data center and testing rooms are further down. You two make a quick sweep of these rooms and the storage rooms further down the hall and meet me in the data center.”

Undyne looked reluctant to let Alphys go off on her own but Papyrus could tell she didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone or going off by herself. It was only logical that alphys should be the one to split from the group, she knew her way around the lab and she would be able to decipher the test results they would hopefully find. Undyne finally made up her mind and gave Alphys a firm nod. Alphys returned her nod and turned away, the only sound in the quiet hallway was her scaly tail dragging on the ground behind her.

Papyrus stood with Undyne in silence for a few moments, both of them just staring at the closed door. Papyrus tried to break the awkward silence with a cough, which failed miserably and only made it worse. After a few moments longer, Undyne seemed to snap out of her daze and she reached for the door handle grumbling,

“What the hell do I get paid for.” Papyrus scoffed and followed her into the room. As expected, the room was quite bare, occupied only by a bed and a closet that had likely contained the doctor’s near-identical sets of extra clothing. There was nothing to look through so Papyrus followed Undyne as she moved on to the next room. After a few nearly empty rooms Undyne wasted no time hesitating instead, throwing open the doors with a rowdy confidence only she could muster. But when they reached the storage room that was the furthest away from Gaster’s room Papyrus wished he had taken some time to prepare himself.

The room was smaller than all the others, it might have once been a broom closet. Tucked away in the back corner of the room was a metal locker, similar to the ones the guard used to store equipment and personal belongings while on duty.

“It’s your turn.” Undyne reminded him, she had searched the last room and the closet was too small for both of them to fit into. Papyrus rolled his eyelights and took a step inside. He turned around so he was facing Undyne and made a big show of looking at every inch of wall in the room. She let out a cackle but didn’t comment on his sass, technically she was his superior officer. When Papyrus was finished he turned to the metal locker, expecting another secret stockpile of lab coats. 

Except it wasn’t, inside the locker there was a pair of cuffs. Papyrus had to do a double take before he realized what they were used for. The cuffs were attached to two short chains that were both secured to the top of the locker. They also matched the two deep scars that encircled his brother’s wrists. 

“-ey, bone boy!” Undyne was shouting at him. Papyrus turned around and the horror he felt must have shown on his face because she immediately shut up. 

“What is it?” she asked, puzzled. Papyrus realized that she couldn’t see around him and stepped out of the closet. Undyne only needed a moment before she made the connection. She looked at Papyrus, her jovial mood somewhat diminished. 

“He… he kept him in there?” she asked, as softly as she could muster. Papyrus could only nod in reply. He felt horrible, the idea of Gaster treating his brother like an object, something to play with whenever he wanted to and then put away the moment he felt like it, made his soul burn with a wave of fiery anger. He slammed the door of the closet closed and stormed down the hall to the data center. He flung open the door and nearly smacked Alphys in the face. She looked confused to see him but she shared a glance with Undyne who was standing behind him and turned to usher them into the room, leading them all to a table strewn with pages of data.

“I was just about to come get you two, I found the records we need and I’ve got good news and bad news.” Papyrus stiffened in his chair at this point, any bad news was unwelcome. “The good news is,” Alphys continued, “I found what’s blocking his magic and I know how to disable it. The bad news is Gaster put it inside his skull, right in the back.

“AND THAT MEANS…” Papyrus growled, a sneaking suspicion of what Alphys would say next growing in the back of his mind.

Alphys turned to look at him. 

“It means I have to cut a hole the size of a spider donut in the back of his skull.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about how long this took me to get out, the last few months have been extremely busy and I feel like I had to make excuse after excuse. the only free time I've had have been focused on friends and family but now that the problem has been solved they won't need as much of my time anymore and hopefully, I can balance spending time with them and writing chapters from now on.
> 
> feel free to come visit/yell at me on tumblr here: [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)


	8. ?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long to get out, I've been really burned out lately

Papyrus hated waiting. He hated being separated from Sans when he knew what was going on in the next room over. But, Alphys had demanded it, she needed any possible distraction to be taken care of while she operated. Papyrus approved of the lengths she was going to in order to keep Sans safe but it still didn’t calm the nagging fear in his soul as he nervously paced the length of the room he was in. 

Undyne had gone back to work so he was alone. After a few minutes more of pacing Papyrus forced himself to sit down in a chair near the door. He had been given very little time to prepare himself for this. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands with a sigh. Alphys had insisted on operating right away to avoid the stress for Sans of being sedated again. The scientist had told Papyrus that putting Sans under again, no matter how they did it, had the potential to upset the tiny skeleton enough that it threw his magic out of whack and with his low HP operating on him in that state could be potentially fatal. Plus, to no one’s surprise, the lower lab had been stocked with all sorts of equipment that was perfectly suited for working on bone. 

Unable to sit still Papyrus took to pacing again, wringing his hands as he went along. He couldn’t see a thing that was going on and Alphys had no idea how long the procedure would take. It had almost been just over an hour and Papyrus wasn’t sure he could wait any longer. Alphys had told him this was an incredibly delicate procedure, and that it was Sans’s delicate hp that slowed it down. 

Papyrus knew that Alphys would do whatever it took to make sure Sans made it out the other end of the surgery and he remembered the words from Gaster’s letter telling him that Sans could take some punishment without dusting but he was still nervous. But this was the only way to get his brother back. If this didn’t work Sans would be stuck as a brainless puppet for the rest of his life, the only memories he had filled with fear and pain. 

Papyrus stopped pacing again and sat back in the chair, crossing his arms over his legs and hunching over so his skull rested on them. For the first time in his life Papyrus wished skeletons could puke. It was torture to have his nonexistent guts reacting to his nerves and he desperately wished there was some way he could release the tension in his midsection. But it didn’t work that way and soon the nervous energy was too much for him again and Papyrus resumed his pacing. 

The seconds dragged on into minutes and the minutes into hours while Papyrus continued his intermittent pacing but eventually someone knocked on the door which was pushed open a second later to reveal a very worn out looking Alphys. As soon as he saw her Papyrus immediately began to pester her with questions.

“HOW DID IT GO? IS HE ALRIGHT? DO YOU THINK IT WORKED?” Alphys held up a hand to quiet him.

“Yes it went smoothly, Sans’s magic is already starting to emerge. I think he’s stable enough for you to carry him up to the main level. I think it’d be better for him to wake up there.” Papyrus just nodded, his words gone at the idea of seeing his brother after the agonizingly long surgery. He impatiently followed Alphys down a few hallways and through a few doors until they reached the operating room where Sans was lying on the table, the back of his skull covered in bandages. 

“Be careful not to touch his head,” Alphys instructed, “ the bone is still delicate in this stage of healing.” Papyrus murmured soft yes in reply and went to scoop his brother into his arms. Papyrus took a moment to bask in how good it felt to be near his brother again after all the shit he had to deal with that day then turned to follow Alphys back upstairs.

\-----------------------------------------

As soon as Papyrus had Sans settled in the room Alphys had prepared for their visit today Alphys began bustling back and forth from different treatment rooms back to Sans’s room bringing with her a few monitors and an IV drip. 

“I need you to take out his soul for me so I can put in the IV.” Papyrus complied and when he did so he saw that Sans’s soul had taken on a faint shade of pink. Alphys also looked pleased when she saw this. 

“His magic is strong,” she remarked, “the sedative should wear off in a few hours and by then he should be at least partly aware.”

“HOW LONG UNTIL I CAN TAKE HIM HOME? Papyrus wasn’t sure what he would do if Sans had to stay in the lab for an extended period of time. 

“Maybe a few days, it depends on how his magic settles.” Papyrus deflated, he wanted to bring Sans home right now. The lab was still giving him jitters and he was sure that Sans would feel unpleasant having to stay here as well. Alphys pulled a chair over to Sans’s bedside for Papyrus to sit in. “I'll talk to Dyne and see about you getting off of work for a while longer,” she said apologetically , laying la clawed hand on his shoulder as he sat down, “but he has to stay until I know he’s healed enough to go back with you.” Papyrus didn’t respond, instead he just stared at his brother lying in the bed in front of him. Alphys just sighed and left the room knowing that Papyrus would talk to her when he was out of his mood. All the stress of the day made Papyrus feel exhausted, even though he hardly did anything. 

All he wanted to do right now was climb into bed with his big brother and sleep. For a while back in the labs their holding pens had been right beside each other and when it was time to sleep Sans would reach through the bars separating them and hold Papyrus until he fell asleep. How desperately he wished for some of that comfort now! But he couldn’t, Papyrus reminded himself firmly, now it was his turn to take care of Sans, no matter how much he missed the safety he felt when Sans took care of him. So he sat there and waited. 

Alphys came in about an hour later and wordlessly handed him a cup of instant noodles before retreating again Papyrus took them gratefully, he hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but still didn’t say anything. After he ate he leaned forward and propped his elbows on the edge of the bed and rested his head in his hands, staring at a small portion of the blanket that slowly rose and fell with his brother’s breathing. 

He must have dozed off for a little while because the next time he opened his eyes it was to the sound of one of the monitors beeping. Lights flashing on and off in a pattern he couldn’t understand. But it meant something and there were only two things he knew that it could be, either Sans was dusting or he was waking up. 

Luckily, it seemed that the latter was true. Sans was moving restlessly in his sleep and after a few minutes that felt like an eternity to Papyrus, Sans’s eye sockets opened and his eyelights slowly manifested. They weren’t the shade of bright crimson Papyrus remembered but they were noticeably more pink than his soul had been earlier. Papyrus held his breath as the eyelights moved lazily around the room, finally landing on him. Sans turned his head slightly to look at him, brow bones furrowed slightly.

“SANS…” Papyrus almost whispered, and Sans’s brows furrowed even more than before.

“Who…” he croaked, obviously not used to using his voice.

“Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel evil  
> come yell at me if you feel like it on my Tumblr: [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)


	9. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda dissapointed in myself for how long this took me but finally, here it is.

Papyrus’s soul froze where it was beating in his rib cage.

“I-IT’S ME, PAPYRUS.” Sans just looked at him.

Did Sans really not remember him? This had to be some sick joke. He stood up abruptly, knocking over the chair he had been sitting. The chair made a loud clatter and Sans jolted at the noise.

“Where--? where am I?” Sans asked, louder than before. Papyrus just took a step back from the bed, he felt himself shaking. Sans struggled to sit up in bed and Papyrus finally snapped into action, surging forward to gently push his brother back into bed. 

“YOU HAVE TO STAY IN BED.” Sans paid him no heed, struggling to push Papyrus’s hands off his shoulders, falling worryingly silent. Still drowsy from the anesthesia his eyelights went wide with panic as he weakly tried pushing Papyrus away.

“SANS, SANS! IT’S ME, YOUR BROTHER, YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN, YOU’RE GOING TO HURT YOURSELF!” Sans just struggled more. “YOU’RE NOT WITH HIM ANYMORE!” Papyrus shouted, not knowing what else to do. That got Sans’s attention, and he fixed his foggy eyelights on Papyrus’s skull.

“Where…” he whispered softly while looking furtively around the small room, as if speaking too loud would bring Gaster back, “where is he?” 

“HE’S DEAD.” Sans’s eyelights widened and he stopped struggling. Papyrus let go of him and retrieved the chair from where it was on the floor. Sans stayed where he was, staring up at the ceiling in shock. Papyrus pulled the chair close up to the bedside and gave Sans some time to process. 

But all his struggling had tired Sans out and he drifted off to sleep again. Papyrus sat there for a few minutes, dumbfounded. A few minutes later Alphys came in, making a beeline for Sans’s bed. She looked to Papyrus and, seeing the shocked look on his face asked, 

“Did he wake up?” Papyrus nodded.

“YES.”

“Did something happen?” Papyrus looked down at his hands and drew in a shaky breath. He didn’t want to say it, saying it out loud would make it real. Alphys huffed at his silence and Papyrus realized that staying silent wouldn’t make anything better.

“HE DOESN’T KNOW WHO I AM.” Alphys was shocked for a moment, then tapped her claw thoughtfully on her chin. 

“Hmmm,” she went over to look at the monitor that had been beeping earlier. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” she reassured Papyrus. “His magic still isn’t even half returned. It’s likely that he’s just too confused right now to recognize you.” Papyrus desperately wished that was true. Alphys continued, “Besides, he recognized your magic signature before, next time he wakes up try using some healing magic.” Papyrus nodded, feeling stupid for not thinking of that earlier.

But Sans didn’t wake up soon, pushing his own magic through his mana lines for the first time seemed to strain his soul and he slept for almost eight hours after his first waking. Alphys had dragged a small table into the room and they were playing checkers when Sans finally awoke. Papyrus was at his side in an instant, accidentally knocking the checkers off the table in his haste. Alphys spluttered angrily, a few moves away from winning but when she realized what was going on she calmed down, making her way over to Sans more calmly than Papyrus had. 

When Sans’s eye sockets opened they were bright red, not the same shade of crimson that Papyrus remembered, but he passed it off as nostalgia embellishing the short time he spent with his brother as children. Sans took a few moments to look around the room and the concerned faces hovering over him before he started asking questions.

“Wh-” Sans’s eyelights widened in shock and he brought a hand up to touch his neck as he realized he could speak again. “What happened?, where am I?,” he looked around the room dazedly, “who?,” he looked between Papyrus and Alphys “who are you?” Alphys just gave Papyrus a look and he knew what he had to do.

“SANS…” he murmured slowly, reaching for one of Sans’s hands “IT’S ME, PAPYRUS.” Grasping Sans’s right hand gently in his own hands, he began to use healing magic. Sans was still for a few moments but, as he looked down at their joined hands Papyrus saw recognition in his eyelights.

Suddenly, Sans reached over with his left hand and tightened his grip on Papyrus’s hand. His eyelights searched desperately for something in Papyrus’s face.

“Pap?...” he said softly, almost afraid Papyrus was lying about who he said he was even though his soul **knew** Papyrus. The tall skeleton could only nod in answer to his brother’s question, he was too choked up with emotion. There were tears growing in the corners of Sans’s sockets, threatening to spill over. But they seemed to Papyrus to be happy tears. Alphys had quietly slipped out of the room to give the brothers some time alone.

For a few moments Sans just sat there, holding their joined hands close to his chest like a safety blanket. Papyrus could feel the tears dripping down his own face but he didn’t want to break contact with Sans for even a second to wipe them away. Finally, after dreaming about it ever since he left the lab, Papyrus had his brother back. 

“You’re so big... “ Sans whispered. If not for the silence of the room Papyrus didn’t think he would have heard his brother. 

“YEAH...IT’S BEEN A WHILE.” Sans chuckled softly as Papyrus slapped himself mentally. What kind of answer was that? But Sans seemed satisfied with it.

“Um, how...how long?” Sans asked tentatively.

“TWELVE YEARS.” The moment the words left his mouth he felt the grip on his hands tighten. The lights in Sans’s sockets faded slightly as he stared at the blanket in front of him, trying to maintain his composure. Still, Papyrus could see the pinkish tears beading at the edges of Sans’s sockets and he gave his brother’s hands a reassuring squeeze. The pressure snapped Sans out of his trance and he fixed a frantic look on Papyrus’s skull.

“How are you here! Where is he! What’s going on, are you alright! He’s not-”

“SANS!” Papyrus cut off his brother’s panicked rant, “HE’S DEAD.” just like before, Sans seemed stunned. The tears in the corners of his sockets began to spill out and ran down his cheekbones, staining them a light pink.

“Y-you mean?”

“HE CAN’T HURT YOU ANYMORE.” Papyrus said gently, pulling his hands out of his brother’s smaller, shaking ones. “NO ONE’S GOING TO HURT YOU ANYMORE, AS LONG AS I CAN HELP IT.” Papyrus opened his arms and although it took him a moment, Sans practically flung himself off the edge of the bed to wrap his arms around his little brother. Papyrus held Sans tight as his older brother sobbed into his scarf as the reality of what was happening hit him. 

As Sans began to drift off into an exhausted sleep Papyrus set him back on the bed and covered him with the blankets. He rested his own head on the mattress and grabbed one of Sans’s hands in his hands and told his brother,

“I PROMISE.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come visit me on my Tumblr: [LaityAllyn](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> I have other works and a [Tumblr](https://laityallyn.tumblr.com/)


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